The Newport Daffodil Days Festival is a spring highlight every year. The festival was to be held April 9-18, 2021 but has been cancelled due to state and local health guidelines. While we will all miss the excitement of the festival, this also opens up the opportunity to visit when the town is less crowded. The daffodils do not care about COVID-19. They are going bloom anyway. Their bright, sunny, yellow color will shine in fields and around every turn downtown. If you want the serenity of time to stop to smell the “daffodils” this might be the perfect year to visit. With one million daffodils in town, it is sure to be a delight for your senses.
The Newport Restaurant Week is conveniently held the same dates as the Daffodil Days making it a tasty time for foodies to visit. Like everything over the past year, restaurant week will look a little different this year. All participating restaurants are committed to the utmost health and safety while providing unbeatable BOGO deals, prix-fixe offerings, and gift card promotions. Bring your appetite and your desire for mouthwatering adventure. Newport restaurants are ready to serve you.
If food is what attracts you then you should certainly check out the local markets. The Newport Aquidneck Growers Market occurs every Saturday morning through May 29. Nearby Tiverton hosts a market on Tuesday afternoons. Pick up some local produce to bring home or snack on during your getaway.
If you want more daffodils, Blithewold Mansion will also celebrate when it opens its historic and contemporary gardens on April 10. Each spring, the 33-acre estate welcomes visitors with 50,000 daffodils of multiple varieties. Only a quick thirty minutes from Newport, the Mansion’s Daffodil Days runs through May 16. The variety of flowers increases through the month of May with hyacinth, honeysuckle, magnolia and cherry trees, forget-me-nots, summer snowflakes, and so much more. Take time to explore the exhibits and the estate which has retained authentic historic details through interior furnishings, family archives, and artifacts.
Spring is the perfect time to visit the beach. Yes, the water will be too cold for swimming but the sand will not be too hot on your feet and there will be lots of room to spread out. Put on your windbreaker and grab a blanket watch the waves crash on the sand. If it’s a particularly sunny day you may even dip your toes in the water as you stroll along the sand. Pay attention, without crowds of families around you may hear beach noises you’ve never heard before. Newport and the surrounding area boast 400 miles of coastline. You are sure to find the right beach for you.
Consider extending your stay with a couple events that happen shortly after Daffodil Days. The Newport Craft Beer Festival is scheduled for April 23 & 24, 2021. Newport Arboretum Week runs April 22-20, 2021.